the galah Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 (edited) 3 hours ago, TAB For Ever said: Gee, I actually never met Aaron personally so know nothing about his fitness levels and diet etc.....I heard he plays lawn bowls so could be into triathlons as well ! Fitness and especially being overweight, are factors which would influence performance for someone whose job it is to commentate. Its just common sense to me. We all know that for example,someone who is overweight has reduced lung volumes and greater chance of laboured breathing.Studies show that .Just look around. I make this comment about aaron white because it wasn't that long ago that you could hear him breathing when he did race commentaries. I didn't imagine it and i found it off putting myself. Trevor wilkes was the same near the end of his career. Thats why i suggest it was factor at that time in him being better at calling short races like greyhounds and gallops. Now he may well have taken steps to improve his weight and lung capacity in recent times.i hope he has as he would know better than anyone how it impacts his job. People may gloss over it,but it is a relevant point. Edited February 19 by the galah 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 (edited) 2 hours ago, the galah said: Fitness and especially being overweight, are factors which would influence performance for someone whose job it is to commentate. Its just common sense to me. We all know that for example,someone who is overweight has reduced lung volumes and greater chance of laboured breathing.Studies show that .Just look around. I make this comment about aaron white because it wasn't that long ago that you could hear him breathing when he did race commentaries. I didn't imagine it and i found it off putting myself. Trevor wilkes was the same near the end of his career. Thats why i suggest it was factor at that time in him being better at calling short races like greyhounds and gallops. Now he may well have taken steps to improve his weight and lung capacity in recent times.i hope he has as he would know better than anyone how it impacts his job. People may gloss over it,but it is a relevant point. I appreciate talking about another person's weight can be a sensitive issue. Happy to own the fact I ate way too many fruit mince pies over Christmas. That aside, many people battle with their weight and I'm sure they don't need others pointing fingers at them. Now that I've got that bla bla bla out of the way I can share my take on it. Morbid obesity can be a minor issue with some employment positions but not all. I have some friends that really enjoy pies and I'm confident they haven't seen their own willy since Lange was Prime Minister. They are good fellas and their weight means squat. If however you're wanting / needing to portray professionalism via your appearance, obesity is a definite negative. Who is the future of harness racing? Young people. They will struggle to relate to a big boy wearing a long sleeve shirt that's not tucked in. Edited February 19 by Walt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 12 hours ago, Gammalite said: wow TABman . thats a cross between reading a weepy tear-jerker novel and a Steven King horror story. the developer bloke dying was a real catalyst towards disaster. The racing past couple of Fridays has been exceptional . I'm glad they got a Friday night spot back. The Franklin track going is a Huge loss. where will those trainers go? and visiting trainers. The ENtain CEO bloke is a good dude from Queensland who is investing in the yearling sales there past 4-5 years and is keeping his runners there now (with Barry and Scott ) and already won the Nz Derby with Merlin in Dec. He is the man to help keep it going . Not just for his horses but he must have BIG-WIG mates he can get to buy yearlings and race them too . Indeed Gamma....the disintegration of the ATC and its finances was both sad and disastrous and bit of a miracle they still operating ! From memory the Apartment development was intended to increase the Clubs value by $40 million , of which $30 mill was in cash so a real 'nest egg'. They had a real job in completing the complex with drilling/building issues with hard rock and faulty workmanship including the use of 'cheap steel' which needed replacing ,Construction company insolvencies and many expensive Court cases which they just had to defend and win which in the main they did. They have been awarded significant amounts by Courts but remains to be seen whether any cash resultant. Selling off land has kept the banks at bay. Pukekohe has been a controversy because of the way it was obtained but being so close to future Housing requirements mean't it was probably on shaky grounds. The Club is looking to rebuild a bigger and better training establishment with the future in mind ,once it sold and closed ! The Australian influence in horse ownership often overlooked. The Entain Boss has had great success there in recent years with his Montana horses ,Merlin and many other winners.Two meeting back he owned 2 x winners outright plus in one syndicate....3 x wins for night. Of course the Butterworths had great success with Copy That and Sacred mountain etc and June Feiss had a heap of success with several wins including Self Assured .And Alderbaren and Yabby Farms feature in ownership of trotters. Last Friday Tenacious D won a maiden race well for its Australian owner. Add to that other horses that owned down the line in South and Manawatu/Taranaki and it highlights that Horse Ownership in North is one of the immediate challenges the Club faces. With the horse shortage , small fields and consequently poor betting numbers the ATC faces huge hurdles. Having NO money is one thing , No horses is worse. Clearly other Clubs not over sympathetic because of the high stakes and preferential treatment given to these higher 'ranked' clubs over the decades ! A 'new' board soon going into HRNZ...how will they see it ? The North has some fantastic Contributors to Harness ......Woodlands, Stonewall , Lincoln Farms ,Breckon Farms among them .And many of the top trainers,drivers etc 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the galah Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 (edited) 11 hours ago, Walt said: I appreciate talking about another person's weight can be a sensitive issue. Happy to own the fact I ate way too many fruit mince pies over Christmas. That aside, many people battle with their weight and I'm sure they don't need others pointing fingers at them. Now that I've got that bla bla bla out of the way I can share my take on it. Morbid obesity can be a minor issue with some employment positions but not all. I have some friends that really enjoy pies and I'm confident they haven't seen their own willy since Lange was Prime Minister. They are good fellas and their weight means squat. If however you're wanting / needing to portray professionalism via your appearance, obesity is a definite negative. Who is the future of harness racing? Young people. They will struggle to relate to a big boy wearing a long sleeve shirt that's not tucked in. Thats sort of a different topic from what i've discussed. I personally don't think young people really give much consideration to body shapes or what current participants look like or wear, when it comes to them considering participation in harness racing. When you raise the point of "who is the future of harness racing? young people". I look at it this way. firstly If you run a business you should recognise and understand who your customers are and why. secondly the most likely pool of new customers are always going to be people similar to your current customers,so in other words that is who you should target and consider for future participation. $ spent on marketing just need to look at who attends and when currently.Then direct the marketing $ in that direction.Niche marketing for certain days. In other words days like cup day,more focus can be on young people,say 18-35. I'm just talking big picture. It all depends on what sector of the industry you are trying to attract people to. For employment in the industry i think harness racing underplays the female side of things. Harness racing has many very good female role models. That needs to be promoted more. For punters. The industry should follow the advice from the wagering companies on things like that. But the stats tell the story on the average age of punters on horse racing. Sports groups is another target group they could warrant marketing,but once again only on niche days. But if your looking to attract more owners and regular racegoers at tracks like addington,then the traget group should be people over 45. Again there is a niche market for grass track days where families should be targeted. The industry needs to look at the different sectors within the industry and have different strategies for attracting each group. Thats why i say when i hear people say the future of the industry is young people,i think to myself ,well no its not. The future is people the same as who are currently involved. You just want more of them. This emphasis on young people to me is like a rest home saying the future of our industry is people in their 60's. Well yeah they may be,but not for another 20 years in most cases.Just start marketing for those customers 5 years out and not 20 i say. Edited February 20 by the galah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 On 18/02/2024 at 11:36 PM, TAB For Ever said: And IMO his 'nicknames' for some of the top drivers is a small but OK addition. It's a fabulous addition. Could us darksiders help Aaron out with a few more ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 17 hours ago, the galah said: Fitness and especially being overweight, are factors which would influence performance for someone whose job it is to commentate. Its just common sense to me. We all know that for example,someone who is overweight has reduced lung volumes and greater chance of laboured breathing.Studies show that .Just look around. I can't think of a commentary box at ground level either 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 15 hours ago, Walt said: If however you're wanting / needing to portray professionalism via your appearance, obesity is a definite negative. Sumo Wrestling excepted !!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 (edited) 3 hours ago, the galah said: Sports groups is another target group they could warrant marketing,but once again only on niche days. Rugby League Race Night with the 200m Club Sprints a good example. Rugby League Bill RIP possibly the driving force however. Edited February 20 by Rangatira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 23 minutes ago, Rangatira said: It's a fabulous addition. Could us darksiders help Aaron out with a few more ? Haha Rangatira you stirrer....the Harness fraternity aren't as adventerous as the Gallops. Though one of our greatest drivers Maurice Holmes was always known as Morrie and often as the Maestro. He retired about 1970 from driving ! Of course you gallops folks in NZ fondly remember Robbie 'the Pope' Hannam. He seen at ATC recently too. And "Handbrake " Harris , "The Pumper" Cassidy , "Billie Idol" Dye, Michael 'the King' Coleman. Australians love nick names in racing ,evan Bridget 'Bear' Grylls . And Harry 'Handbrake' White , Roy 'the Professor' Higgins ,Mick 'the Enforcer' Dittman , Luke'Sausage' Rolls, Paul'the King 'Duck [ie PK Duck] , Jason'Stubby' Holder, Jason 'Tiddly 'Winks . Gais jockey Hippopotamus . USA had "The Shoe" and "The Maestro". But Hey that all too much for NZ !😊😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the galah Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 (edited) 3 hours ago, Rangatira said: Rugby League Race Night with the 200m Club Sprints a good example. Rugby League Bill RIP possibly the driving force however. Yes i remember them at addington.They were very entertaining and always brought support from their sporting clubs numbers wise that added a different dimension to the nights racing. i also remember bowls night where they would have a roll up and then there was golf night which from memory was where they did a bit of putting. I know from many years of observation that sports like bowls and golf have many harness followers and punters. Of course rugby clubs used to have their night as well and i think that may have been sprints as well or maybe they wer the ones who pulled the sulkies. All those things at addington. Then there was pubs nights i think. Darts is another sport which had a lot of people in that liked a bet.Thatb would have been an easy one to have a promotion on course. Race days at country clubs used to always have the undie run. Not enough people for that these days but i can imagine on days like geraldine in november,that type of thing would go down great with the pre christmas crowd they get,but it never happens these days. Of course all the kids activities were always good to attract the families. Of course no reason that sports clubs and kids activities on country race days couldn't intertwine. Also some clubs used to have racedays where local radio stations would have representatives on a local committee to promote activities with the raceday being called the radio station or newspaper raceday and would be heavily promoted by them for free. Never seems to happen today. But somehow it seems that HRNZ has taken the focus away from clubs promoting on course attendance and clubs no longer have the energy or desire to go there. Given how it all worked so well in the past its rather sad,but thats the way some things have become. No reason it wouldn't work again and its the type of thing sponsors could be found for,but like i say you get the impression the energy,drive and resources from hrnz and clubs is no longer there. Edited February 20 by the galah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the galah Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 (edited) 20 minutes ago, the galah said: Yes i remember them at addington.They were very entertaining and always brought support from their sporting clubs numbers wise that added a different dimension to the nights racing. i also remember bowls night where they would have a roll up and then there was golf night which from memory was where they did a bit of putting. I know from many years of observation that sports like bowls and golf have many harness followers and punters. Of course rugby clubs used to have their night as well and i think that may have been sprints as well or maybe they wer the ones who pulled the sulkies. All those things at addington. Then there was pubs nights i think. Darts is another sport which had a lot of people in that liked a bet.Thatb would have been an easy one to have a promotion on course. Race days at country clubs used to always have the undie run. Not enough people for that these days but i can imagine on days like geraldine in november,that type of thing would go down great with the pre christmas crowd they get,but it never happens these days. Of course all the kids activities were always good to attract the families. Of course no reason that sports clubs and kids activities on country race days couldn't intertwine. Also some clubs used to have racedays where local radio stations would have representatives on a local committee to promote activities with the raceday being called the radio station or newspaper raceday and would be heavily promoted by them for free. Never seems to happen today. But somehow it seems that HRNZ has taken the focus away from clubs promoting on course attendance and clubs no longer have the energy or desire to go there. Given how it all worked so well in the past its rather sad,but thats the way some things have become. No reason it wouldn't work again and its the type of thing sponsors could be found for,but like i say you get the impression the energy,drive and resources from hrnz and clubs is no longer there. I also used to think they should have some sort of raceday showcasing the horse, where all horse activities and disciplines paricipate and give displays. ponies,barrel racers,trick riding,carriage driving,big and small,clydsedales to minatures,Young and old. That would be the type of day where hrnz showcase the employment opportunities within the harness industry like a career day does at school. Prizes could include future tandem sulky rides at high profile horse trainers training facilities.Thats the type of day that feed companies,farrier companies,equine health companies,etc you would think would easily sponsor. A lot of work the first year but then not so much thereafter. Shame really stuff like that doesn't happen.Just wishful thinking.Harness racing has a very promotable product,but it doesn't happen as well as it should. Edited February 20 by the galah 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 4 hours ago, TAB For Ever said: Haha Rangatira you stirrer....the Harness fraternity aren't as adventerous as the Gallops. Though one of our greatest drivers Maurice Holmes was always known as Morrie and often as the Maestro. He retired about 1970 from driving ! Of course you gallops folks in NZ fondly remember Robbie 'the Pope' Hannam. He seen at ATC recently too. And "Handbrake " Harris , "The Pumper" Cassidy , "Billie Idol" Dye, Michael 'the King' Coleman. Australians love nick names in racing ,evan Bridget 'Bear' Grylls . And Harry 'Handbrake' White , Roy 'the Professor' Higgins ,Mick 'the Enforcer' Dittman , Luke'Sausage' Rolls, Paul'the King 'Duck [ie PK Duck] , Jason'Stubby' Holder, Jason 'Tiddly 'Winks . Gais jockey Hippopotamus . USA had "The Shoe" and "The Maestro". But Hey that all too much for NZ !😊😊 All the nicknames you mentioned were age old, fitting and widely used. Very rarely were they used during a race and never repeatedly. Bill Skelton earned the nickname "Bustling Bill" but once again it was rare to ever hear that during a race call. Blair being called "The Postman" was fitting and I had no issue with it. Once again, it was very rarely used during a race. How is David Butcher "The Chief"? How is Todd Mitchell "The Wizard"? Both total bullshit nicknames and only ever used on and off the race track by one person. Aaron White. He not only used the names during races but does so repeatedly. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Richard Brosnan had a superb nickname...one of the best I've heard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 1 hour ago, Walt said: Richard Brosnan had a superb nickname...one of the best I've heard Yes very clever and very apt, Could you imagive a commentator using that during a race.😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 2 hours ago, Walt said: All the nicknames you mentioned were age old, fitting and widely used. Very rarely were they used during a race and never repeatedly. Bill Skelton earned the nickname "Bustling Bill" but once again it was rare to ever hear that during a race call. Blair being called "The Postman" was fitting and I had no issue with it. Once again, it was very rarely used during a race. How is David Butcher "The Chief"? How is Todd Mitchell "The Wizard"? Both total bullshit nicknames and only ever used on and off the race track by one person. Aaron White. He not only used the names during races but does so repeatedly. Don't take yourself so seriously..........nicknames , usernames , physical appearance ....what next ? Explain Walt...is that Walt Disney or Walt from Breaking Dad . TAB For Ever....spread the word....if NZ doesn't hop on board there will be no NZ Racing . W...Without A Lotta Thought ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 2 hours ago, Walt said: Richard Brosnan had a superb nickname...one of the best I've heard Bird Shit! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 6 hours ago, TAB For Ever said: Don't take yourself so seriously..........nicknames , usernames , physical appearance ....what next ? Explain Walt...is that Walt Disney or Walt from Breaking Dad . TAB For Ever....spread the word....if NZ doesn't hop on board there will be no NZ Racing . W...Without A Lotta Thought ! You're very slow on the uptake but that would not surprise from a they / them who's farcically promoting an organization that would need to lift their game considerably just to reach mediocrity. You are aware that professional horse racing has been around since 1750 but the NZ TAB didn't arrive on the scene for another 200 years? Horse racing is an exciting sport that the TAB do a superb job of nullifying and turning into a snore fest, much like your input. They do more to promote greyhound racing and compulsive gambling than anything else. Quantity over quality has been the ethos for many years. I have absolutely no issue with nick names as long as they are clever, funny, appropriate and not repeatedly rammed down throats. This is where Aaron White falls over. The Chief and The Wizard are not funny, clever or appropriate nick names. They are obsequious and very boring so it's no coincidence that you gravitate toward them. Aaron White has been using them repeatedly during race calls for many years despite only one eggplant in NZ supporting that. It provides absolutely nothing to enhance the quality of his race calls or promote the sport. Harness Racing and it's supporters need it like a boil on it's nose. Using the absurd nick name The Wizard a staggering seven times during one race alone was like sunburn on sunburn. Why do something that is turning patrons off when the sport in Auckland especially is clearly in decline? Race callers traditionally focus on the horses and what's unfolding during a race and that system works very well. Aaron White's incessant and relentless attempts to change a successful model have been a fail. Part of what makes the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" so good is the narration. It sets a tone that informs and entertains the viewer. Race callers are gifted a platform to do similar. Unfortunately, that has been lost on Aaron. Yes, a professional appearance when it comes to the higher profile people playing key roles in promoting harness racing via media is important. They also need to be relatable and stimulating. We do have such personalities in our racing media but they are invariably sent packing until what we have left are with a few exceptions a cure for insomnia and are past their use by date. Sadly, the clock is ticking on Auckland Harness but those with their head stuck up a darkened orifice will not see the light. Any thoughts on the diabolical and shambolic performance of the NZ TAB last Saturday which has become all too familiar for punters in NZ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gammalite Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 22 hours ago, TAB For Ever said: Indeed Gamma....the disintegration of the ATC and its finances was both sad and disastrous and bit of a miracle they still operating ! From memory the Apartment development was intended to increase the Clubs value by $40 million , of which $30 mill was in cash so a real 'nest egg'. They had a real job in completing the complex with drilling/building issues with hard rock and faulty workmanship including the use of 'cheap steel' which needed replacing ,Construction company insolvencies and many expensive Court cases which they just had to defend and win which in the main they did. They have been awarded significant amounts by Courts but remains to be seen whether any cash resultant. Selling off land has kept the banks at bay. Pukekohe has been a controversy because of the way it was obtained but being so close to future Housing requirements mean't it was probably on shaky grounds. The Club is looking to rebuild a bigger and better training establishment with the future in mind ,once it sold and closed ! The Australian influence in horse ownership often overlooked. The Entain Boss has had great success there in recent years with his Montana horses ,Merlin and many other winners.Two meeting back he owned 2 x winners outright plus in one syndicate....3 x wins for night. Of course the Butterworths had great success with Copy That and Sacred mountain etc and June Feiss had a heap of success with several wins including Self Assured .And Alderbaren and Yabby Farms feature in ownership of trotters. Last Friday Tenacious D won a maiden race well for its Australian owner. Add to that other horses that owned down the line in South and Manawatu/Taranaki and it highlights that Horse Ownership in North is one of the immediate challenges the Club faces. With the horse shortage , small fields and consequently poor betting numbers the ATC faces huge hurdles. Having NO money is one thing , No horses is worse. Clearly other Clubs not over sympathetic because of the high stakes and preferential treatment given to these higher 'ranked' clubs over the decades ! A 'new' board soon going into HRNZ...how will they see it ? The North has some fantastic Contributors to Harness ......Woodlands, Stonewall , Lincoln Farms ,Breckon Farms among them .And many of the top trainers,drivers etc Another exceptional article by you TABman . Again covering a huge range of events and status of Nz harness racing. The items all of great importance. thanks for the imformation. you fill in a lot of gaps for people in your posts. A New Board at HRNZ you say ?? Can ONLY HOPE someone as knowledgeable and observant as your self can get a position on it . They need people with a ready insight and acute understanding of things involving ALL the stakeholders in the Harness racing Industry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeynz Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 14 hours ago, Walt said: Richard Brosnan had a superb nickname...one of the best I've heard Wonder how a commentator would get on if Harry Cox was still alive and driving. With a sense of humour like mine I think even if might struggle 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the galah Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 2 hours ago, mikeynz said: Wonder how a commentator would get on if Harry Cox was still alive and driving. With a sense of humour like mine I think even if might struggle I wonder if he ever drove against the maurice skinner trained Colossal Dick?(by.. dick adios /colossal queen) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 3 hours ago, mikeynz said: Wonder how a commentator would get on if Harry Cox was still alive and driving. With a sense of humour like mine I think even if might struggle Cox tucked in behind looking for a gap 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 30 minutes ago, the galah said: I wonder if he ever drove against the maurice skinner trained Colossal Dick?(by.. dick adios /colossal queen) Try naming your horse that now Galah Are there any horses or dogs racing that have a name reflecting the gender fluid bullshit? Could have some fun with that I remember a horse in the 1970's that George Shand had called "Mighty Gay"....he was by Gay Gordon and made it to Cup Class....A bit erratic from memory but you can live with that if they win 9 or 10 races for you. I doubt very much the name Mighty Gay would get through now. George raced a few decent horses in his day. He also had Borana prior to Pete winning the NZ Cup with him in 1985. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the galah Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 (edited) This has made me wonder,how did the word dick ever become given the name for a penis.Well it seems the word dick came from english slang It seems back in 1550 there were a lot of men with the name richard,and about that time people who had been calling richard rick,started using the name dick as it rhymed. Then in 1665, an irish playwright,with would you believe the name Richard Head,wrote a very popular satirical novel (the english rogue),where he had a character whose real name was richard,but he gave the english slang name of dick.In the novel this dick,impregnated a woman who was having trouble conceiving. So then apparently the word dick being referred to as a name for a penis became quite popular then english soldiers,about the late 19th century started using it all the time.Up until then the word willy or yard(you would think that wishful thinking) had been the more popular. So there you have it. Whether you needed or wanted to know that or not. Edited February 21 by the galah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 The very good galloper Braless was by Showoff II, brilliant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, Blackie said: The very good galloper Braless was by Showoff II, brilliant. And mare was Snuggles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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